One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 90
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January 23
They called for help, but no one came
to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he
refused to answer.
42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
You appointed me ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now
serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
foreign nations cringe before me.
45 They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their
strongholds.
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46
47
The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!
He is the God who pays back those who
harm me;
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49
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he subdues the nations under me
and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my
enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
For this, O Lord, I will praise you among
the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.
PROVERBS 4:11‑13
11
12
13
I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
Take hold of my instructions; don’t let
them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.
AFTER PASTOR KABIR FINISHED leading a prayer service in one of
India’s slums, he was kidnapped on his way home and savagely beaten
by members of the Hindu Yuva Vahini youth militia. They insisted he denounce Jesus, but the pastor refused. Instead he said, “I’m not going to
worship idols. I’m going to serve the Lord only.” Bruises, a burst eardrum,
and a fractured skull have only strengthened Pastor Kabir’s resolve to
speak out for Christ. • LORD, MAY ALL WHO FOLLOW YOU have Pastor
Kabir’s courage and single-minded dedication. In hostile areas—in all
nations—may your people serve you with their whole hearts. Amen.
GENESIS 46:1–47:31
So Jacob* set out for Egypt with all his possessions. And when he came to Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father, I saac.
2 During the night God spoke to him in a vision.
“Jacob! Jacob!” he called.
“Here I am,” Jacob replied.
3 “I am God,* the God of your father,” the
voice said. “Do not be afraid to go down to
Egypt, for there I will make your family into
a great nation. 4 I will go with you down to
Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You
will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you
to close your eyes.”
5 So Jacob left Beersheba, and his sons took
him to Egypt. They carried him and their little
ones and their wives in the wagons Pharaoh
had provided for them. 6 They also took all
their livestock and all the personal belongings they had acquired in the land of Ca
naan. So Jacob and his entire family went to
Egypt—7 sons and grandsons, daughters and
granddaughters—all his descendants.
8 These are the names of the descendants
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of Israel—the sons of J acob—who went to
Egypt:
Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son. 9 The sons of
Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and
Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin,
Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul’s
mother was a Canaanite woman.)
11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and
Merari.
12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah,
Perez, and Zerah (though Er and Onan had
died in the land of Canaan). The sons of
Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah,*
Jashub,* and Shimron.
14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and
Jahleel.
15 These were the sons of Leah and Jacob who
were born in Paddan-aram, in addition to
their daughter, Dinah. The number of Jacob’s
descendants (male and female) through Leah
was thirty-three.
